The Photometry Section of the RASNZ was set up in the 1970s with Brian Marino and Stan Walker as Directors. More latterly, Bill Allen replaced Brian Marino. It operated the very successful series of PEP Conferences, beginning at Carter Observatory in 1976, with later meetings at Auckland, Blenheim, Hanmer, Toowoomba, Auckland and Nelson. Accepting the more international nature of electronic photometry the group became initially the Southern Photometry & CCD Group and is now the Southern Electronic Photometry Group.

Fred Watson (on his way to one of the pep conferences) admiring the Harry Williams 53 cm Cassegrain at the Milton Road Observatory. The attached photometer was used to make several thousand UBV measures during the period 1990-2003.

During the past 30 years there have been major changes in this field. Conventional pep required skills and dedication at a level which few people mastered. However, the advent of CCDs and telescopes with better tracking and finding techniques--and at a relatively inexpensive level--has seen a large influx of CCD photometrists.

CCDs have considerable advantages. They are about 3-4 times more sensitive in the visual region from about 0.5-0.8 microns. As well, they can be used in conjunction with a computer to make a time exposure of a starfield. This allows identification and monitoring of objects much fainter than the eye can see through a telescope.

Image analysis software is available to translate the images into a digital format which can then be used to produce brightness values in magnitudes. Because the CCD detector is made up of an array of discrete sensors, or pixels, the sequential measures necessary in pep are not always necessary as all the objects of interest may appear on one image.

Put all of this together with the instant communication of the Internet and serious scientific astronomy by amateurs is easily attainable. This site is intended to demonstrate what can now be done if you wish to make some useful contributions to astronomy. The actual results should go to one of the many groups who are endeavouring to use photometry in its various forms to understand a little more about the Universe in which we live.

HELP NEEDED ON

What CCDs and Photometers are available commercially?

Who is sponsoring which research programmes?

Who can aid beginners?

What has been missed?

Liaison with observers in the Pacific, Australia, South America and South Africa?

Any others?

OBSERVE, RECORD, PUBLISH

INTRODUCTORY